Broadband News

Latest installment on the V21 roller-coaster ride

The Register has more news based on the announcement by Netservices that it is to allow Internet access until Friday 24th for affected V21 customers.

Giving the V21 customers a couple of days access to the Internet is useful, since it will allow people to research a new provider, or look deeper into the service offer by EzeeDSL. Some posters
on our forums, have wondered how they can be migrated to the EzeeDSL service, but Netservices refuse to provide a migration code. The answer is relatively simple. Since EzeeDSL are using
Netservices, it is a sideways move with no need for a migration code.

For those customers wanting to move to another provider, it is unfortunately a case of waiting for a cease order to be placed on the line, and then for this to be actioned by BT. The news
yesterday that the BT Wholesale availability checker will show details of cease orders should help people to
track the cease order. Many people signing up to a new provider will be looking for free activation, we advise people to make sure that they have read the full terms and conditions for any
freebies they get from a new provider, as free activations are often tied to longer contracts, or a separate contract with a buy out fee that reduces to zero over a period of up to five years.

It appears Ofcom has received hundreds of complaints about this situation, and after similar episodes throughout 2006, it is looking ever more likely that issuing of migration codes will be made
compulsory. This change will not happen in time for the V21 customers, but hopefully it will be sorted out before the next company has problems. As of April 2007, it will actually be cheaper for
a company like Netservices to issue a migration code, as a charge for ceasing an ADSL service will probably be passed onto the provider from that date.